Railway-track structure.



No. 658.376. Patented Sept. 25, I900. C. F. KBESS, In.

RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE.

(Application Med Mar. 19, 1900.!

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: umwron' ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE'.

CARL F. KRESS, JR., OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAINSTEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,376, datedSeptember 25, 1900.

Application filed March 19 1900. serial No. 9,225. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL F. KRESS, Jr., of Johnstown, in the county ofCambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railway-Track Structures, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to railway-track structures of that classwhich are provided with Wear-plates of hard metal, which form theintersecting portions of the track, said plates being remo ably seatedin the struct u re,so that they can, if necessary,be removed andreplaced.

The object of my invention is to provide a structure of this class witha center or intersection plate of novel character seated and secured insuch a manner as to very greatly facilitate its removal.

To this end my invention consists, broadly, in the combination, with atrack structure having a circular pocket formed therein, of a plate ofcorresponding form seated in said pocket, and securing means for saidplate which can be released by circular movement of the plate. Byapplying a suitable wrench or spanner bar to a plate of this characterit can be readily turned to release it from its fastenings.

My invention also consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings,forming partof this specification, Figure 1is a plan view of a portion of a railway-crossing embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken on the line 22. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing modified constructions.

The letters A, A, A and A designate the four rail members of thestructure,which are solidly united by a central body B of metal castabout their adjacent end portions, as usual heretofore in this class ofwork. Cored in the central portion of this central body B is a circularpocket 0, portions of whose lateral walls are formed by the inner endsof the rail members, which have previous to the casting been milled togive them the proper curvature.

D designates the hardened-metal center or intersection plate, which iscircular inform and which is made to fit neatly in the pocket 0, itsupper surface being formed with the fiangeways d. To seat the plateneatly, the walls of the pocket can be trimmed or milled off aftercasting.

In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the pocket 0 is formed with adeepened central portion C, and the plate D is formed on its under sidewith a depending circular boss or projection- D, having a helical-threadD The portion 0 of the pocket is preferably of larger diameter at itsbottom than at its top, and the boss or projection D is ofsufficientlyless diameter to leave a surrounding space, as shown. Theplate is also provided with diametrically-opposite peripheral recesses01, and the walls of the pocket are preferably provided with registeringotfserrecesses 0, although these may be omitted.

The plate is seated and secured in the following manner: It is placed inthe pocket 0,

with its flangeways in proper alinement with respect to the gage-linesof the rail members. Melted spelter or some other soft retainingmaterial is then poured into the pocket through the recesses d and flowsunderneath the plate and down around the boss or projection D, portionsthereof entering the groove or grooves of the helical thread. Therecesses (51 are subsequently filled by means of wooden plugs H. It willbe readily seen that when the spelter or similar material hardens in andabout the thread D it will securely hold the plate in position. If it isdesired to Tomove the plate at any time, the plugs H can be readilychipped or bored out, and by means of.a suitable bar, fitted with lugssimilar to the lugs or jaws of a span-Wrench for engagement with therecesses 01, sufficient power can be applied to the plate to rotate itand unseat it. The spelter can then be chipped out of the pocket toprepare it to receive a new plate.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that shown in Fig. 2; butthe upper or tread portion of the plate is also formed with a peripheralhelical groove 72 to receive the spelter, and the wall of the pocket isundercut at h for the same purpose. 7

In the modification shown in Fig. the boss or projection D is omitted,as is also the deepened central portion of the pocket, and theperipheral groove h is alone provided to receive the spelter.

It is obvious that many other modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wishto be limited to the forms which I have herein shown and described. Myin vention is also applicable to track structures in which the railmembers. intersect at acute instead of at right angles, as in thestructure shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pa tent, is

1. In a railway-track structure, the combination with the rail membersand the central connecting-body having a circular pocket therein, of ahardened intersection or center plate of circular form seated in saidpocket, and means fol-securing said plate whereby it can only be removedby circular movement thereof.

2. A railway-track structure having secured in its central orintersection portion a hardened-metal plate of circular-form, and meanswhereby said plate can be rotated to release it from its fastenings.

3. The combination with a railway-track structure having a circularpocket therein, of a hardened plate rotatably seated in said pocket, andmeans for normally securing said plate against rotary movement.

4. Arailway-track structure having a wear or intersection plate of hardmetal rotatably seated therein, and means for securing said plate andfor releasing the same by rotary movement thereof.

5. Arailway-track structure consisting of a plurality of rail members, acast-metal body uniting said members and having a circular pocket formedtherein between the adjacent ends of said rail members, the latterhaving their said ends shapedto form portions of the wall of saidpocket, and a hardened wearplate seated and secured in said pockettoget-her with means for securing said plate, whereby it eanbe releasedand removed only by circular movement thereof.

(5. In a railway-track structure, the combination with the rail membersand the connecting-body therefor having the circular pocket between theends of said members, of a circular plate fitted in said pocket andformed with one or more helical grooves or threads and retainingmaterial around the threaded or grooved portions of said plates andengaging the same.

7. A railway-track structure having a circular pocket formed therein, acircular wear or intersection plate rotatably fittingthe said pocket,and having a helical groove or thread and means whereby retainingmaterial may be introduced into said pocket to engage said groove orthread.

8. A railway-track structure having a circular pocket formed therein, acircular wearplate rotatably fitting the said pocket, means engagingsaid plate within said pocket to secure the same, and means wherebypower may be applied to said plate to release it from the securingmeans.

9. A railway-track structure having a circular pocket formed therein, acircular wearplate rotatably fitting the said pocket, and having ahelical groove or thread thereon, and soft retaining material in saidpocket engaging said groove or thread, said plate having means wherebypower may be applied thereto to rotate it from engagement with the saidmaterial.

10. A railway-track structure having a circular pocket formed thereinand deepened at its center portion, a hardened wear-plate rotatablyfitted in said pocketand havingadepending boss or projectionextendinginto the deepened portion of the pocket and having a peripheralthread, and retaining material surrounding said boss or projection andengagingthesaid thread.

V In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CARL F. KRESS, JR. Witnesses:

GEO. H. PARMELEE, JOHN H. KENNEDY.

